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Tuesday November 05, 2024

Philanthropist Bilquis Edhi breathes her last in Karachi

Bilquis Bano Edhi was 74 years of age; she had been ill for the last one month

By Web Desk
April 15, 2022
An orphaned child pays her respects to Bilquis Edhi (right) at her charity office in Karachi in this undated. – AFP/File
An orphaned child pays her respects to Bilquis Edhi (right) at her charity office in Karachi in this undated. – AFP/File

Bilquis Bano Edhi, the wife of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, breathed her last on Friday after a month-long illness. 

According to a spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation, Bilquis had to be shifted to a private hospital three days ago after her blood pressure dropped. 

Earlier today, her family had said that her condition had stabilised. She was admitted to a hospital in Karachi for three days and was rushed there after her blood pressure had suddenly dropped.

“Though she is not in a serious condition, she will remain in the hospital for a couple of more days,” the spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation Muhammad Bilal had said.

Bilal had added that Bilquis had congestive heart failure and she has already undergone a heart bypass twice.

First Lady Tehmina Durrani had also visited her during Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s maiden visit to the port city on Wednesday.

Earlier, Pakistan’s towering philanthropist and humanitarian was declared the "Person of the Decade'', along with human rights rapporteur of the UN Prof Yanghee Lee and the US ethicist Stephen Soldz.

A spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation had told APP that as per the domino effect verdict, announced on Friday by the Impact Hallmarks, Bilquis Edhi was declared the most impactful person of the first two decades of the 21st century.

Bilquis was a professional nurse and headed the Bilquis Edhi Foundation.

She spent more than six decades of her life serving humanity in need.

Her charity has saved over 42,000 unwanted babies so far by placing "jhoolas" [cradles] at the Edhi Homes and centres across the country.

Condolences pour in

In response to the sad demise of Bilquis Edhi, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah expressed deep grief and sorrow as he applauded her philanthropic work for the country.

"Very sorry to hear of Bilquis Edhi’s passing, she served Pakistan’s poor and abandoned with great spirit her entire life," wrote renowned writer Fatima Bhutto.

MQM-P Senator Faisal Subzwari said Pakistanis would remember her for eternity as he prayed for her forgiveness.

Famous journalists and anchorperson Hamid Mir lamented over the development and prayed for her forgiveness.